Improvement in car-couplings



P. Y. KEPLER. Oar-Coupling.

No. 220,719. Patented Oct. 21,1879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

PETER Y. KEPLER, OF MOUNT VERNON, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,719, dated October 21, 1879; application filed July 21, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER Y. KEPLER, of Mount Vernon, in the county of Lynn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, in whichd Figure 1 shows a side view, partly in section, of a pair of couplings constructed according to my improvement, and Fig. 2 a face view of one of the same.

This invention relates, generally, to that class of couplings having a falling hook, and more particularly to the attachments for operating couplings from the sides and tops of cars.

It consists in certain combinations of parts and details of construction whereby such couplings are made much more reliable than heretofore, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and then pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, A represents an ordinary box or freight car provided with the bumper B, in which is pivoted the drop-hook Q, having a vertical slot, q, in place of the round'hole through which the pivot usually passes. To the nose of this hook is pivoted a forked rod, D, terminating at the top in a handle, as shown at d.

At E is hung a cross-bar having three arms, F G G, The armF is forked at its outer end, and pivoted to the rod D, and the arms G G are used as handles to move the bar E and arm F, whereby motion can be given to the rod D at either side of the car.

At the upper part of the car is a guide, H, through which the rod D moves. Near this guide H s a spring, I, having one end fixed to the car and the other bearing on the rod D, which always tends to press the rod toward a fixed plate or catch, J, which in this of the hooks by raising one of the handles G G, which first throws the rod D away from the catch J, and then lowers the hook down into theaperture in the bumper, as shown in the drawings.

The'same'operation may be performed from the top of the car by taking hold of the handle d, pushing the rod D away from the notches, and then lowering the coupling-hook as before.

To uncouple the cars the motion of the rod D is reversed, either by means of the handle d or oneof the arms G.

From this it will be seen that a car may be readily coupled or uncoupled by a person standing at either side or on the top of a car, and that the hooks will be firmly locked in position, either when coupled or uncoupled, as the spring I always tends to force the rod D against the catch, and thus hold the hooks in any desired position? If preferred, the aperture in the bumper may be made wide enough to receive two hooks side by side, so that by setting each hook a little to one side of the center of the bumper both hooks may be in use at the same time; but this is not essential.

By the use of a vertical slot for the pivot of the hook to pass through, the cars can slightly rise or fall without interfering with the coupling, although the nose of the hook is securely held fast by the rod D.

I am aware that it is not new to couple or uncouple cars from their tops or sides, or both, and therefore do not claim this broadly.

What I claim as new is- The combination of the notched vertical rod D, pivoted directly to the hook C, with the In testimony that I claim the foregoing I bar E, provided with the arms G G, and havhave hereunto set my hand this 17th day of ing the arm F, connected directly to the verti- July, 1879.

cal rod between the notches thereon, and its PETER Y. KEPLER. connection with the hook, all constructed and Witnesses:

arranged to operate substantially as and for T. J. W. ROBERTSON,

the purpose Specified. GEO. F. GRAHAM. 

